and be ready to employ practical viral hemorrhagic fever isolation precautions, or barrier nursing techniques. These techniques include the wearing of protective clothing, such as masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles; the use of infection-control measures, including complete equipment sterilization; and the isolation of Ebola HF patients from contact with unprotected persons. The aim of all of these techniques is to avoid any persons contact with the blood or secretions of any patient. If a patient with Ebola HF dies, it is equally important that direct contact with the body of the deceased patient be prevented. Image: Ebola HF prevention poster used in Kikwit outbreak. In conjunction with the World Health Organization, CDC has developed practical, hospital-based guidelines, titled Infection Control for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers In the African Health Care Setting. The manual describes how health care facilities can recognize cases of viral hemorrhagic fever, such as Ebola HF, and prevent further hospital-based disease transmission by using locally available materials and few financial resources if a case of VHF is diagnosed in the facility. A similarly practical diagnostic test that uses tiny samples from patients skin has beendeveloped to retrospectively diagnose Ebola HF in suspected case-patients who have died.What challenges remain for the control and prevention of Ebolahemorrhagic fever? Scientists and researchers are faced with the challenges of developing additional diagnostic tools to assist in early diagnosis of the disease and ecological investigations of Ebola virus and the disease it causes. In addition, one of the research goals is to monitor suspected areas to determine the incidence of the disease. More extensive knowledge of the natural reservoir of Ebola virus and how the virus is spread must be acquired to prevent future outbreaks effectively....
